Head and system for continuously manufacturing composite hollow structure

Abstract

A head is disclosed for use with a manufacturing system. The head may have a housing configured to discharge a tubular structure reinforced with at least one continuous fiber and having a three-dimensional trajectory, and a cure enhancer operatively connected to the housing and configured to cure a liquid matrix in the tubular structure during discharge. The head may also have a nozzle configured to discharge a fill material into the tubular structure, and a wand extending from the housing to the nozzle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of continuously manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 receiving fibers arranged in a tubular configuration having a first diameter; 
 continuously coating the fibers with a matrix; 
 diverting the coated fibers radially outward away from a non-fiber axis to form a tubular structure having a second diameter greater than the first diameter; 
 modifying a three-dimensional trajectory within an axis of the tubular structure; 
 curing the tubular structure from inside of the tubular structure to harden the tubular structure and maintain the three-dimensional trajectory; and 
 discharging a fill material into the tubular structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein curing the tubular structure includes curing the tubular structure at a location upstream of where the fill material is discharged into the tubular structure. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further including curing the fill material. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further including mechanically shielding an external portion of the tubular structure from an environment during discharging. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further including mechanically shielding an internal portion of the tubular structure from the environment during discharging. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes directing the fill material from a center of the tubular structure radially outward onto an inner wall of the tubular structure to form an annular layer inside the tubular structure. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes directing the fill material from a center of the tubular structure radially outward onto an inner wall of the tubular structure to form a plurality of ridges inside the tubular structure that extend in an axial direction of the tubular structure. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure further includes spiraling the ridges relative to the tubular structure. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes spraying a coating of the fill material against an inner wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
       10. A method of continuously manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 discharging a tubular structure; 
 creating a three-dimensional trajectory within an axis of the tubular structure; 
 exposing the tubular structure to cure energy; and 
 discharging a fill material into the tubular structure during discharging of the tubular structure, wherein exposing the tubular structure to cure energy hardens the tubular structure prior to the fill material being discharged into the tubular structure. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein discharging the tubular structure includes:
 discharging matrix-wetted continuous fibers; and 
 forming the matrix-wetted continuous fibers into the tubular structure. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein exposing the tubular structure to cure energy includes exposing the matrix-wetted continuous fibers to the cure energy from a location inside of the tubular structure. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further including curing the fill material. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , further including externally shielding the tubular structure from an environment. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further including internally shielding the tubular structure from the environment. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes directing the fill material from a center of the tubular structure radially outward onto an inner wall of the tubular structure to form an annular layer inside the tubular structure. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes directing the fill material from a center of the tubular structure radially outward onto an inner wall of the tubular structure to form a plurality of axially oriented ridges inside the tubular structure. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure further includes spiraling the plurality of axially oriented ridges relative to the tubular structure. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 10 , wherein discharging the fill material into the tubular structure includes spraying a coating of the fill material against an inner wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
       20. A method of continuously manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 discharging a tubular structure from matrix-wetted continuous fibers; 
 creating a three-dimensional trajectory within an axis of the tubular structure; 
 exposing the tubular structure to cure energy at a first location to harden the matrix; 
 directing a fiber-free fill material from a center of the tubular structure radially outward at multiple separate locations downstream of the first location onto an inner wall of the tubular structure to form a plurality of ridges inside the tubular structure that extend in an axial direction of the tubular structure; and 
 exposing the plurality of ridges to cure energy at a second location downstream of the first location to harden the plurality of ridges.